Congress Archive

President Obama’s FY 2013 budget proposes cuts to poverty-focused international assistance, which makes up less than 0.5% of the U.S. federal budget but saves millions of lives around the world. Poverty-focused international assistance provides food to the hungry, shelter to refugees, vaccinations against deadly diseases for children, and education for a more prosperous and stable future. Cutting this assistance doesn’t balance the federal budget but does cost lives.

Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to strengthen international poverty-focused humanitarian and development assistance as they consider the upcoming federal budget for fiscal year 2013. While our nation’s fiscal challenges are significant, the current economic crisis disproportionately impacts the world’s poorest people.

For further background, read the recent letter by Bishop Richard Pates, Chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Dr. Carolyn Woo, President of Catholic Relief Services.

Your voice matters. Your voice makes a difference. Poverty-focused international assistance was cut by 8% in fiscal year 2011, and a more than 20% cut was proposed for FY 2012. Thanks to your tireless advocacy, when the FY 2012 budget was finalized, we were able to recover 3% of the funding lost the prior year. So send your email or call your member of Congress. Raise your voice and take action today!

CCSJ Feedback & Survey
The CCSJ is seeking feedback regarding our media usage, communication methods, and social media usage. We want to see what you think about our Facebook, Twitter, and Flicker pages, as well as the CCSJ webpage. Please help us better inform and serve you by filling out this brief, 5 minute survey: https://www.blueq-surveys.creighton.edu/se.ashx?s=46BEEE7F2F4754C9

Worker Appreciation Dinner
Do you want to learn more about the many people who work on campus? Do you want to say thanks for their commitment to the Creighton Community? Do you want to give back to show your appreciation?

Attend the Worker Appreciation Banquet! Help is needed to work, serve, and share a meal with workers. This event will take place from 7-9:30 in Lower St. John’s. If you are interested in this event, please contact Melissa Hollabaugh (melissahollabaugh@creighton.edu) or Jocelyn Wu (jocelynwu@creighton.edu).

Events More than One Week Away:Standing Bear’s FootstepsFriday, April 20
Student Needed to Assist with Driving The CCSJ recently received a phone call from a woman named Eleanor Caron. She is a senior citizen who is in need of a student (preferably female) who could drive with her (in her car) to Brunswick, Maine in early June, and then back again in late August or early September. Each trip would be split into three days, and return airfare and accommodations would be paid for. She would share in the driving and is primarily looking for companionship and a second driver. She would also be open to having the student stay for a few days and see the area (details to be worked out with Ms. Caron). If you are interested in this position, please call her at 402-553-7286.

Saturday, April 21 Creighton University African Student Association Banquet
Ubuntu Africa Banquet “I am because we are.” Ubuntu is a traditional African philosophy that roughly translates to “I am who I am because we are.” It is the essence of a human being based on the self-assurances that comes from knowing that we belong to the greater whole. The African Student Association invites you to experience the Ubuntu of Africa through cuisine, music, fashion, art, and folklore. Micere Mugo, Ph.D.., a renowned African activist, writer, and academic, will present on the meaning of Ubuntu in a 21st century context.

The ASA annual cultural banquet has come to be a tradition at Creighton University. Last year, the banquet was awarded “Undergraduate Event of the Year” by the Student Activities Office. We hope you will join us in making this year’s banquet even more successful.

This event will take place from 6-8:30 pm in the Skutt Student Center Ballroom. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for faculty, and free for children under 5. Tickets are being sold in Skutt every day. For tickets or more information, please contact Amal Hamdan at amalhamdan@creighton.edu.

Sunday, April 22 Sherman-Steichen Memorial Run
This event is sponsored by the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, the PT Leadership Guild, and Phi Lambda Sigma. This is the 15th Annual 5k/10k Run-Walk. Registration on the day of the Race (Sunday, April 22) will be $20 and will begin at 11:30 am. The race will begin at 1 pm. Walkers are welcome for the 5k. For more information, please visit http://spahp2.creighton.edu/oasa/Sherman%20Steichen%20Run%20.aspx.

Monday, April 23 Larger Than Politics: The Worlds of Lincoln, King, and Gandhi
This lecture is the Asian World Center Presidential Lecture. Rajmohan Gandhi presents “Larger than Politics: The Worlds of Lincoln, King, and Gandhi.” Rajmohan Gandhi was born in New Delhi, India in 1935 and is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. He has followed in the footsteps of his grandfather for more than 50 years, pursuing trust-building, reconciliation, and democracy among nations. Gandhi continues to encourage dialogue among different people and has written widely on the Indian independence movement and its leaders, Indo-Pakistan relations, human rights and conflict resolution. This event will take place from 7:00-8:00 pm in the Harper center Auditorium. More information will be available at http://www.creighton.edu/publications/newscenter/news/2012/april2012/april122012/gandhinr041112/index.php.

Volunteers Needed at One World Health Center
One World Community Health Center is looking for volunteers to assist with a special project regarding referrals in the Electronic Health Records. No Spanish is required, and the center is hoping to begin as soon as possible. Volunteers would be assisting with the backlog of referrals pending a report, communicating with special facilities, and navigating the EHR. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in Medical Information management or pre-med. Please contact Sarah Dworak at (402) 502-8896, or by sending an email to sdworak@oneworldomaha.org.

International Peace and Security Institute Application Deadline
The International Peace and Security Institute is hosting a course on conflict prevention, resolution, and reconciliation in Bologna, Italy. This course includes training in international negotiation, mediation, facilitation, strategic nonviolent action, social entrepreneurship, project planning and design, trauma healing and more. Training is led by some of the world’s top academics and practitioners. The program runs June 16-July 14. Applications are due Monday, April 23, 2012. For more information and additional programs, please visit http://ipsinstitute.org/bologna2012/.

Thursday, April 26 Summer Bike Storage
Leaving Omaha this summer? Don’t have a place inside to keep your bike? Want a safe place to store your bike while you are gone? Store your bike in Creighton’s long-term bike storage. All you need is a lock. You will sign a liability waver when you come. There will be a designated day when school begins to take your bike out of storage, but you may remove your bike from storage anytime by simply contacting Public Safety, no need to walk to the storage unit (located at 21st and Cuming St.) Bring your bike to out table on the mall from 11:30 am
-1:30 pm and GreenJays will take care of the rest. Questions or concerns? Contact Morgan Balabanoff (morganbalabanoff@creighton.edu) or Anna Green (annagreen@creighton.edu).

Baby Shower to Celebrate LB599
The CCSJ will be hosting a baby shower to celebrate the passing of LB 599, which restores prenatal care coverage to all low-income women. Stop by the CCSJ (Harper Center 2067) all day, have a cookie, and bring a donation for a baby or expectant mother. For more details and information, please visit the CCSJ’s website, http://blogs.creighton.edu/ccsj.

Friday, April 27 Disability Awareness Training Volunteers Needed
Ollie Webb Center, Inc. is offering a Disability Awareness Training entitled “Awareness: the Key to Friendship.” This program is directed towards elevating elementary students’ awareness of and sensitivity to the day-to-day obstacles faced by people with disabilities. Through the program, each student will experience a learning disability, hearing impairment, physical disability, and visual impairment by engaging in 4 different activity centers. Volunteers are needed to assist with running the centers. This event will take place from 1-3 pm at St. Robert’s School (118th and Pacific). To volunteer, please contact Lisa Dougherty at ldougherty@olliewebbinc.org.

Worker Appreciation Dinner
Do you want to learn more about Danny Durry (who has worked at the Skutt Student Center for 5 years and won the 2010-2011 Division of Student Life “Outstanding Staff” Award) and other workers on campus? Do you want to say thanks for their commitment to the Creighton Community? Do you want to give back to show your appreciation?

Attend the Worker Appreciation Banquet! Help is needed to work, serve, and share a meal with workers. This event will take place from 7-9:30 pm in Lower St. John’s. If you are interested in this event, please contact Melissa Hollabaugh (melissahollabaugh@creighton.edu) or Jocelyn Wu (jocelynwu@creighton.edu).

Saturday, April 28 Campus Garage Sale
Pick up some new-to-you stuff –household goods, fridges, TVs, microwaves, furniture. Who knows what treasures you might find? All items were donated by Creighton students, faculty, and staff. Proceeds to benefit charities chosen by the students. This event will take place in the Lower McGloin Parking Garage from 9 am-1 pm. For more information, please contact Nick Stukel at nicholasstukel@creighton.edu.

Ollie Webb Center Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed to decorate, serve food, assist individuals with Bingo, and clean up. Lunch is provided. This event will take place from 12:15-3:15 pm at the Mockingbird Community Center. To volunteer, please contact Lisa Dougherty at ldougherty@olliewebbinc.org.

Sunday, April 29 Gourmet Gents
This 4th Annual Event features fabulous culinary delights expertly prepared and served by local celebrity chefs and those who boast of being super “gourmet chefs.” TIckets will be $25 in advance, $30 on the day of the event. Proceeds from this event will benefit women of color in Omaha through the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.- Omaha Metropolitan Chapter’s advocacy programs focused on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, leadership development, economic empowerment, political awareness, educational advancement and the NCBW Scholars Program. This event will take place from 2-5 pm at the Joslyn Castle. For more information, please visit http://www.ncbwomaha.com/indexhtml.

Upcoming Events: Standing Bear’s Footsteps(Thursday, May 3)
In 1877, the Ponca people were exiled from their homeland and sent to Indian territory in present day Oklahoma. To honor his dying son’s wish to be buried in his homeland, Chief Standing Bear set off on a grueling, 600-mile journey home. Captured en route and held at Fort Omaha, Standing Bear sued U.S. Army General George Cook for his freedom- choosing to fight injustice not with weapons, but with words. The chief stood before the court to prove that an Indian was a person under the law.

A special screening of the documentary “Standing Bear’s Footsteps” will take place on Thursday, May 3 from 6:30-8 pm at the Bryan High School Auditorium (4700 Giles Road, Omaha, NE). This high-definition documentary weaves interviews, recreations and present day scenes to tell a story about human rights- one that resonates powerfully in the present.

For 11 long years, Congress has debated the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, a bipartisan bill that offers a path to citizenship for young immigrants. The DREAM Act protects responsible young adults from the constant threat of deportation and removes barriers to their rights to work and education. President Obama has promised to sign the bill into law. The DREAM Act has sparked hostile opposition from an emboldened anti-immigrant movement that has fueled a spate of dangerous and xenophobic laws that trample immigrants’ rights and jeopardize the rights of minority and indigenous communities. As supporters of human rights, it’s up to us to stand strong in the face of these attacks and secure this important reform to our immigration system.

Urge Congress to pass the DREAM Act without delay. All immigrants, irrespective of their legal status, or which side of the border they are on, have human rights. Yet — as documented in Amnesty’s new report, In Hostile Terrain: Human Rights Violations in Immigrant Enforcement in the U.S. Southwest — those rights are under threat from federal, state and local authorities. Our research shows a pervasive view among law enforcement officials of all immigrants as criminals — even when immigrants are victims of crime, such as survivors of trafficking and domestic violence. Raped then deported? It happens so often that many immigrants don’t even report these crimes. Passing the DREAM Act is a small but important step towards a fair and just approach to U.S. immigration policy reform. As anti-immigrant fervor reaches a fever pitch, we’re counting on people like you to speak up in support of U.S. immigration policy that respects human rights.

Representative Paul Ryan released the House budget proposal for FY 2013 on Tuesday March 20. The initial “big picture” shows that it is no solution to our nation’s economic problems. Major concerns are immediately obvious:

The Ryan budget cuts total spending sharply from the FY 2012 budget, and continues reductions in each of the next ten years; however the national defense part of this spending increases by billions each year.

Medicare is slashed, becoming a premium support program – an amount of money provided to seniors to offset the cost of their private insurance.

A reserve fund is established to bring about the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, to remove the benefits to seniors, children and young adults which are already helping millions of those most in need of assistance.

Revenue, so badly needed, is further limited by the extension of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts; adjustment of the Alternative Minimum Tax to prevent additional people from paying it; extending the estate and gift tax cuts and reforming the tax code and lowering tax rates

In contrast, “Priorities for a Faithful Budget”: Acting with Mercy and Justice as One Nation Under God” was released today, March 22, and is a better model to use for our federal budget. This “Faithful Budget” was created by members of a national coalition of interfaith organizations who believe that government is a vital forum for promoting the common good and ensuring that no one is left behind.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is due for reauthorization. The Act was originally signed into law in 1994 in response to the growing violence against women in America. VAWA provides law enforcement, prosecutors and judges the necessary resources to hold offenders accountable. It also reinforces the safety in communities, supports victims in vital areas and provides critical funding for prevention and education. The federal law comes up for renewal every five years and has always enjoyed unequivocal bipartisan support until this year.

NETWORK had previously posted full support and encouraged advocacy for passage of the reauthorization bill in the Senate. However, the bill, as passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 2, 2012, on a 10-8 party line vote, removed some safeguards for immigrants and added a questionable criminal justice piece. Given our commitment to immigrant rights, we felt obliged to take a second look before we could continue to promote this bill.

Senators in the pocket of Big Oil are trying to bring back the Keystone XL oil pipeline proposal, thwarting President Obama’s decision to reject the dirty and dangerous project.

TransCanada has spent $1.3 million lobbying for their tar sands oil pipeline, and now they’re at it again with a major bill in the Senate. We may not have $1.3 million to lobby Congress, but we do have 1.4 million grassroots voices.

The Creighton Center for Service and Justice’s (CCSJ) website seeks to inform people of programs sponsored by the office or related to its mission while offering a space for Creighton students, faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and friends to reflect on their experiences. The views expressed are those of the individual authors and organizers and are not necessarily those of Creighton University, the CCSJ, or any of the University’s affiliates.